Q. Why is this in news?
A. The Union Environment Minister has delivered the statement on behalf of the BASIC group of countries at the UN Climate Change Conference underway at Glasgow.
Q. Which are the BASIC Countries?
A.
- The BASIC countries (also Basic countries or BASIC) are a bloc of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China.
- It was formed by an agreement on 28 November 2009.
- The four committed to act jointly at the Copenhagen climate summit, including a possible united walk-out if their common minimum position was not met by the developed nations.
- This emerging geopolitical alliance, initiated and led by China, then brokered the final Copenhagen Accord with the United States.
Q. What is the Copenhagen Accord?
A.
- The Copenhagen Accord is a document signed at COP 15 to the UNFCCC on 18 December 2009.
- The Accord states that global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C (3.6 °F).
- It does not specify what the baseline is for these temperature targets (e.g., relative to pre-industrial or 1990 temperatures).
- In January 2010, the Accord was described merely as a political agreement and not legally binding, as is argued by the US and Europe.
- It is not legally binding and does not commit countries to agree to a binding successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose round ended in 2012.
- According to the UNFCCC, these targets are relative to pre-industrial temperatures.
